Slow Fade: Trifles
by winterserenity
Summary: Just series of one shots, drabbles, and scribbles about Reno and his girl. RenoxOC Rating for language and smut.
1. Chapter 1

"Oh, come _on_, Reno," Rod rolled his eyes. "There's no way a girl like that would go out with a guy like you."

"You'd be surprised," the red-headed Turk smirked as he watched the girl.

'What girl are they talking about?' you may wonder. Well, the one in that office there, with the black hair, sitting behind the oversized desk, back straight, eyes glued to the screen in front of her, typing away like, well, like she has nothing better to do.

"I dunno, man. Why would you want her anyway? I mean, she's cute enough, but how did a kid her age get a cushy desk job?" a burly brown haired man asked.

"Dude," Rod said and turned to face the man. "You're right. How did she get that job?" he asked and stared at the young girl across the hall.

"I can't believe you two," a woman growled as she walked up to them, sterling hair swirling around her.

Reno smirked and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. As cute as the new girl was, this promised to be much more entertaining.

"First I find out you're slacking off, and now I find out you're gossiping about the new girl. Is it so hard to believe that she got her 'cushy desk job' through merit alone?"

"Now, come on, Yuuko!" the brown haired man said. "She can't be more than sixteen!"

"Y'know, age doesn't mean much," Reno chimed in.

"Exactly. And I'll have you know, she is the mysterious hacker we've been trying to find," Yuuko smirked.

Reno quirked an eyebrow. _Really? So there's more than just looks to her, huh? Impressive._

The other three Turks continued arguing loudly.

"No way!"

"That can't be true!"

"You're joking!"

"I don't believe you!"

"It's true. Go ask Veld."

"We will!" they cried and stomped off to the elevators.

Reno pushed off the wall and stepped forward.

"So, she's got brains too, huh?" he asked.

"Apparently," Yuuko replied. "She wouldn't have even been caught if she hadn't played with our code. I suspect she left a trail to follow on purpose, she was too thorough to make such a stupid mistake."

"Why did she bother in the first place?" the red-head wondered aloud.

"According to her friends, she got dared to."

"Really?" Reno grinned. "Sounds like my kind of girl," he said as he crossed the hallway and walked into the girl's office.

The girl saw him out of the corner of her eye and stopped typing.

"Hi!" she beamed up at him.

"Hey there," the Turk smirked. _She's got a great smile. Dammit. Smiles like that make me do stupid shit. Every. Time._

She giggled and Reno briefly entertained the idea that she read his thoughts. "So, sir, what brings you to my neck of the woods?" she asked him cheerily.

"Hey, none of that 'sir' stuff. Gotta keep up my rep, y'know," Reno smiled, pretending being called 'sir' didn't give him a bit of an ego boost.

She laughed, "Well, then, what _am _I to call you?"

"Reno'll do just fine," he said and gave her a lopsided grin.

"Well, Reno, I'm Triss," she chirped and smiled wider as he perched himself on the edge of her desk. "And you still haven't answered my question. What's a Turk like you doing all the way down here on floor forty-five?"

"Honestly, Triss," he whispered and leaned forward conspiratorially and motioned for her to do the same, "I came down here to ask you on a date this weekend."

"Did you?" she asked, clearly entertained.

"Yeah. I've got tickets to this concert," here he showed her the aforementioned tickets, "and I was wondering if you wanted to go."

"Well," she said softly, leaning in closer, "I don't see why not."

Reno gave her a big grin and sat up, "Good enough for me."

She giggled again and sat back in her chair, then promptly glared at the screen before her.

"What's wrong?" the redhead asked.

"Oh, someone keeps coming in behind me and undoing half of what I do," Triss sighed. She rattled off a long string of techno-babble that Reno didn't understand a word of. Well, she said "and" at some point.

"Can I see?" Reno asked, trying to save face. He couldn't very well admit he had no clue what she was talking about.

"Oh, of course!" she said and he walked around her desk. "It probably won't make much sense to you, though." Reno opened his mouth to protest as he peered over her shoulder, but Triss cut him off. "It doesn't even make sense to me," she groaned.

The Turk smirked, "Sounds like you could use a break."

"Definitely."

"Lunch?"

She turned around and smiled that smile up at him. "Absolutely."


	2. Chapter 2

_"Is that all you're getting?" Reno asked her incredulously, staring at the small salad on her tray._

_"Yeah, I'm not really hungry," Triss replied, tossing her black hair over her shoulder and smiling at the attendant she flashed her ID card to._

_Oh, Holy. She's one of those girls who never eats, _Reno had thought back then, which is why he was so surprised now as she finished off an entire pizza.

"What?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him from her spot on the floor briefly before returning her eyes to the screen.

"Nothin'," he laughed and plopped his feet up on her coffee table and adjusted his grip on the controller.

"Hah!" she cried. "You didn't think I'd eat that whole pizza myself, did you?"

He gave her a lopsided smirk, "No, I didn't."

"I'm pretty much constantly hungry," she said. "I just do my best eating at night!"

And night it most definitely was. They had spent the entire day at the concert. During that day, Reno learned that Triss was the youngest in a family of four, just as happy in those ridiculous, frilly skirts she wore to work as she was in her jeans, loved high heels, hated hot dogs, had a slight attention problem, smoked clove cigarettes, drank top shelf vodka, wasn't on the best terms with her family, had a massive vocabulary (including an impressive array of curses), couldn't stand being bored, taught herself everything she knew about coding, was a bigger fan of the opening band than she was of the main band, and had the most brilliant smile he'd ever seen.

The evening after the concert, Reno discovered that Triss had a lovely singing voice, but was grew very shy when told so, would laugh at the stupid and horribly inappropriate jokes he made, kicked his ass in thumb wrestling, was a danger to herself in the kitchen, that her roommate was one of her brothers, that the aforementioned brother was out of town often, and that with her, "going back to her place" involved much less debauchery and much more pizza and video games than he was used to.

"No!" Reno cried.

"Haha! Take that!" Triss laughed triumphantly, leaping to her feet. "Still undefeated!"

"Aw, my feelin's are hurt, yo," Reno teased. "What're you gonna do to make it up to me?" he asked, hooking an arm around her waist and pulling her into his lap.

Triss grinned and put her face inches from his, "Well," she began and bit her bottom lip.

"Yeah?"

"I won't force you to play another round," she laughed and leaped out of his arms.

Reno blinked for a moment, processing what had just happened and watching Triss put the game system away. Did I just get turned down?

"Aw, Reno!" Triss chuckled.

"What?"

"Your face! You look like someone kicked your dog."

Reno smiled, "Well, you kinda did."

Triss grinned mischievously and crawled onto his lap. "Then let me make it up to you."


	3. Chapter 3

"Y'know what, Rudo?" Reno asked as he drunkenly collapsed on the couch.

"What, man?" Rude asked, much more composedly seating himself beside his friend.

"I like that girl."

"What girl?" the bald man asked, 'cause with Reno there was a _lot_ of girls.

"Triss, man!"

"That chick you took to the concert?"

"Yeah," Reno grinned and took another swig of beer. "I'm gonna ask her out again."

Rude slowly turned to face his partner. "Like, ask her on a second date?"

The redhead laughed at his friend's reaction. "Yeah! She's great! You'll really like her, man."

Rude still blinked, trying to wrap his mind around the idea of Reno potentially dating a girl.

"I been thinkin'," the boy on the couch continued, blissfully unaware that his friend was slowly developing an aneurysm, "I think I'm gonna ask her to the Shin-Ra dance. All significant and impressive-like, y'know?"

"That's a month away, man!"

"I know."

"No, I mean, she's not gonna wait a month for you to ask her out again."

"...Fuck," Reno's head hit the back of the couch. "Why do you always have to be right?"

"Just ask her now," Rude suggested. "Problem solved."

"Yeah!" the redhead leaped up. "I'll go ask her now!" he crowed and started walking to the door.

"Um, dude?"

"Yeah, Rudo?"

"You might wanna shower first."


	4. Chapter 4

Triss was sprawled out on the couch, head hanging upside-down off the side, watching Reno desperately try to keep up with the flashing arrows on the television screen before him.

"Oh, jus' give it up!" she cackled. "You're so far off beat, there's no way to catch up."

"Shut up," he threw over his shoulder at her. "I'm doin' good."

"Suure you are," she snickered. "That flashing red bar means you're doin' great."

A few moments later,

"There's somethin' wrong with your game, Triss."

"What are you talking about?"

"I jus' died!" Reno wailed.

Triss laughed loudly. "There's nothin' wrong with the game, Reno. You jus' can't dance when you're drunk."

He scoffed and plopped down on the floor in front of her. "I'm a great dancer."

"Well, sober y'are. Jus' not when you're drunk," she giggled.

Reno blinked at her for a few seconds, then smiled brightly.

"What?" Triss asked him, confused.

"You jus' said I'm a great dancer... And you're pretty."

"What?"

"I said you're pretty," he grinned.

"Aww, Reno. You're so sweet," she smiled up at him. "And cute. You're very cute," she added, tapping the tip of his nose lightly.

"Ya really think so?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I do," she giggled. "I like you, y'know."

"You do?" he asked.

"Whuchu lookin' so shocked for? 'Course I do!" Triss exclaimed.

"Well, good," Reno grinned. "'Cause I'm saving our second date for something special."

Triss gasped and her eyes grew wide. "Really?" she asked as she rolled on to her stomach. "You like me enough to take me on another date?"

"Well, yeah!" the inebriated Turk replied. "Why're _you _so shocked?"

"'Cause of all the hangin' out we've been doin' without any datin'. I just figured you didn't like me enough to date me."

"You kiddin'? Babe, I ditched Rude to drink with you t'night!" Reno laughed.

"You did what? You coulda brought him!"

"Really?"

"A'course! More the merrier 'n all that!" Triss laughed and rolled upside down again, waving her arm nonchalantly. "We're too drunk to fuck, anyhow!"

"Then, can I call him and see if he wants t' come over?" the Turk asked, completely missing the girl's mention of sex.

"Sure!"

Turns out, his partner _did _want to come over. He wanted to meet the girl who was slowly stealing his best friend from him. When the door was opened for him, he was greeted by an extremely drunk Reno.

"Rude, ya made it!" the redhead crowed.

"Yay, Reno! You're standing up!" a girl cheered.

The redhead looked down at himself. "Yeah, I am!" he laughed. "Rudo!" he yelled, clapping a hand on his partner's shoulder, then leaning on it for support, "I wan' you to meet Triss!"

"Hi!" the young girl cried. She was draped upside down over the arm of a dark blue sofa.

"Why're you upside down again?" Reno asked. "You'd jus' gotten right side up!"

"I know," she said, "but everything looks so much more interesting this way. It's the same, but it's totally, utterly, 'n completely not."

Rude had to chuckle at the mystified tone in her voice.

"Oh, no," she murmured and clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm drunk and waxing philosophical. I don't wanna be a dur dur!" she cried.

The younger Turk laughed and dropped onto the floor next to her. "You never sound like a dur dur, babe. You're too smart to sound dumb."

"Well, I dunno about that," she giggled. "I do know this, though. You," she pointed at Rude, "need a drunk. I mean, a drink. A drunk until you get drink! ...Wait. Dammit!"

Rude chuckled and took the beer Reno handed him. She seemed cool enough. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh, hey. Hey, Triss," Reno stumbled into the kitchen. "I gotta question for ya."

"Oh, Shiva, Reno," the rapidly sobering girl sighed from the other side of the room. "Are you _even more drunk_?"

"Yes," he replied. "Yes, I am."

She laughed, "Well, then. What's this question you wanted to ask me?"

"Hey, hey, heeey," he smirked at Triss and pressed her against the edge of the counter, an arm on either side of her.

"Yes?" she giggled.

"Fuck, girl," he groaned and buried his face in her neck. "You're so fuckin' sexy."

Had he been a bit more sober, he would have noticed the way her hips shifted ever so slightly against him or how her breathing increased or the way she craned her neck just a little, but he wasn't. So all he noticed was the fact that she leaned more heavily against the counter, away from him, and said,

"What was your question?"

He lifted his head off her shoulder and blinked at her, "Nevermind. It wasn' important."

"No, Reno," she stopped him, slipping her arms around his waist and pulling herself close to him. "What were you going to ask me?"

"I, uh, was gonna ask if you had anymore beer."

"Oh," her face fell. "I thought you were gonna ask me something else."

"What'd you think I was gonna ask?"

"Like you said, it's not important," she smiled and walked out of the room.

Reno blinked after her. _What just happened?_


	6. Chapter 6

_"Fuck, man. I totally blew that one."_

_"Yeah, you did," Rude agreed. "Just go ask her now."_

_"What? 'Oh, I _forgot_ to ask you, you wanna go to the banquet with me?'"_

_"Reno, you were so drunk, you're lucky you remember anything."_

Reno started to walk into her office when he found his way blocked by a second class SOLDIER.

"You," the SOLDIER cried, pointing at Triss, "don't have a date to the ball-thingie!"

"Neither do you, Zacky!"

Reno leaned against the wall outside her door.

"Ya want one?" 'Zacky' asked her.

The redhead growled softly. _Shit. Why the fuck is Rude always right?_

"You're not gonna take nameless secretary number twelve?" Triss laughed across the room.

"Not if you need someone to go with. I'm not just gonna leave you out in the cold!" the man chuckled and leaned against her doorway. "I was surprised to hear you didn't have a date, though. I thought that Turk would've asked you."

"Yeah, I thought he was going to, but then he asked me if we had anymore beer," she laughed softly. "So, I guess I misread him."

"Well, I'll be more than happy to escort my Trissy to the ball instead of nameless secretary number twelve," the SOLDIER winked at her.

"I have a feeling, you'd rather go with the secretary. We do better with pizza, video games, and bad movies than we do wining, dining, and ballroom dancing," she laughed.

"So you gonna go date-less, then?"

"Yeah, I guess so," she murmured.

Reno had enough.

"No, man. She's got a date," the Turk said.

"She does?" 'Zacky' asked and turned around to see who had spoken.

"I do?" Triss asked from within her office.

"Yeah, she does," the redhead said and walked into the room.

Triss grinned from ear to ear and said, "Zack, that's your cue."

"What? My cue?"

"Yeah, to skeedaddle," she smiled at him past Reno.

"Fine!" he sighed dramatically from the doorway. "I know when I'm not wanted."

Triss laughed, not taking her eyes off Reno's. "Get outta here, Fair!"


	7. Chapter 7

A group of women sat at a round table, leaning close to each other, whispering amongst themselves.

"Look at those two!" they cried.

"I know! Can you believe it?" they replied.

"Who would have thought that he could get a girl like her?" some asked.

"Who would have thought that _she_ would get a guy like _him_?" others interjected.

"She's such a sweet girl! She deserves so much better," one observed sadly.

Another nodded and sat back in her chair, "She deserves a real man."

"Well," another added haugtily, "he deserves a real woman. Someone who can give him more than that girl."

"I think you're all wrong," the outcast of the group said quietly. "Look at them."

All eyes returned to the pair out on the dance floor- a young girl, dark black hair twisted up on the top of her head, one hand on her partner's shoulder, the other clasped in his, smiling up at him while her blue dress fluttered gently with their swaying and a young man, bright red hair as messy as ever, one hand on his partner's waist, the other holding hers to his chest, grinning down at her and holding her close. Occasionally, one would say softly say something to the other and they would both laugh gently, sharing secrets only for them to know.

"They're happy," the youngest of the group said. "Let them be kids and be happy." _Because happiness never lasts._


	8. Chapter 8

"Unh!" Triss gasped. "Oh, Reno! Fuck!"

Reno chuckled, "That's what I'm doin', babe."

"Oh, shut up," she grinned and pulled him into a scorching kiss that made his toes curl.

He smirked down at her, "Damn, girl. You taste good."

"Mmm," she purred. "So do y-" she paused and Reno froze.

"Did you hear that?" they asked simultatiously. They had both heard the front door open and then close.

"Fuck," Reno whispered. _Her brother's home._

"Shh," Triss whispered in his ear. "It's okay. We just have to be quiet. He'll think I'm asleep and won't bother us."

"Hmm," the redhead laughed softly. "_Can_ you be quiet?"

"You'd be surprised."

"Well, then, surprise me," the Turk snickered and slowly started moving his hips again. Triss exhaled softly, biting her bottom lip and twitching when he moved just _so_.

Reno continued his painfully slow torture as he nipped along her collarbone, grinning when he heard a hiss of pleasure escape her. His wandering hands found the bundle of nerves at their joining. She tangled her fingers in his hair and whimpered, ever so softly, "Not fair."

He felt her tighten around him and let out a whispered grunt. _Oh, fuck. I gotta keep this one_, he thought as he increased the speed and pressure of his minstrations, relishing the way her eyes squeezed shut and how she clung to him, gasping for breath.

"Uhn! Don't stop!" she whispered as he felt her abdomen tighten beneath him.

"I wasn't planning on it," he whispered back, watching her gasp and press her head into the pillows.

Her fingers dug into the mattress. "Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck!" she breathed and clung to his muscular arm with one hand while the other tangled itself in her sable hair. "Oh, Holy. Reno!" she whimpered and arched her back as she spasmed around him.

"Oh, fuck," he groaned softly as his own release engulfed him.

Moments later, they were simply a panting, tangled mass of limbs.

"Uhn," he grunted softly as he collapsed onto the bed beside her.

"Yeah," she replied breathlessly. "That was-"

Reno smirked, "Yeah."

_Definitely gonna keep this one around._


	9. Chapter 9

"Mayday! Mayday!" Rude yelled into the headset. "Chopper One, going down!"

"Aw, fuck," Reno cried. "Triss is gonna kill me!"

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

"Triss."

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

"Triss, honey."

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

"Triss!"

"Mmm?" She sat up on the couch and blinked.

He chuckled. "C'mere, darlin'."

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

She smiled sleepily at the redhead and stumbled over to the bed.

"Hey, you," she said softly.

"Hey," he grinned. "C'mere, yo." He gently pulled her wrists.

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

"But-"

"No, buts. C'mere," he insisted and pulled her on to the bed beside him.

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

She sighed and carefully laid down next to him.

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

"Some third date, huh?" he asked as she gently rested her head on his uninjured shoulder.

"This doesn't count as a date," she giggled.

"Then what is it?"

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

"Not a date."

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

"I don't go on dates in hospitals."

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._

"You scared me," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, yo," he murmured and held her as tightly as he could, ignoring the pain. Because she was worth it. And, job be damned, one of these days, he was gonna do _something_ right.

_Beep. Beep. Hiss._


	10. Chapter 10

It was somewhat bittersweet, Veld decided, that Reno's plans always turned out the way they did. He really did try to be a good boyfriend to Triss, much to everyone's surprise. (Most people still suspected him of ulterior motives.) But the redhead's plans fell through nearly every time.

Veld sighed and stepped in the hospital room, not at all surprised that the black haired girl was asleep in Reno's arms. One of these days, he'll surprise them all.

One of these days, that boy will get it right.


	11. Chapter 11

"There's something so satisfying about grass stains. Feels like you've done somethin', even if all you've done is make an idiot of yourself," Triss sighed happily, looking down at the aforementioned marks all over her arms and legs as she dangled her feet in the water.

"Doesn't hurt to have a view like this, either, does it?" Reno chuckled and kicked off his shoes to join the girl seated in the open doorway of the company chopper he "borrowed".

"Yeah," she grinned as the redhead pulled her into his arms. "Real colors are always nice."

"Y'know, I don't usually do third dates," Reno said after a while.

"I know," the brunette giggled, "ya freak. I'll betcha you gave Rude an aneurysm."

"Yeah, well," the Turk smirked, "I'm glad I did this time."

"Really?" Triss rested her head on his shoulder and smiled gently, "I am too."

A comfortable silence reigned.

For a few seconds.

"Not to ruin the moment or anythin', but I gotta awkward question to ask ya."

"Okay."

"How do you know that SOLDIER, 'Zacky'? You two seemed pretty friendly."

The raven-haired girl tilted her head to look up at him, "It's been weeks since you overheard him asking me out. Is it really still bothering you?"

"Yeah."

She sighed and chuckled softly, "Zack and I have been friends for a while now, little over a year. He was one of my brother's buddies and just took a shine to me. We started talkin' one night after everyone else had passed out and I somehow became the little sister he never got to torture growing up. He spends more time with me than he does with my brother now."

"Well, if you're his 'little sister', then why was he askin' ya out?"

"Because you hadn't, you jealous idiot! You can't blame him for your alcoholic amnesia!"

"Sure I can! That's what makes me an alcoholic!"

Triss laughed loudly. "Who cares? He was just asking so I wouldn't have to go alone. I went with you, anyway."

"Yeah, ya did! 'Cause Turks are better than SOLDIERS!"

"Oh, no," she scooted away. "I'm not getting into _that_ debate."

"Why?" the redhead asked accusingly. "You think SOLDIERS are better?"

"I have no opinion on the matter! I think you're all just big chunks of code that have me working overtime to deal with!"

Reno chuckled and pulled her back to him. "Heh, that's my girl."

Triss smiled.

_My girl._


	12. Chapter 12

Triss smiled as she snuggled deeper into the covers.

"I'm sorry, Reno. Did you say something?"

The redhead smirked down at the girl in his arms.

"I'm just that good, huh? Can't even focus."

She giggled and nuzzled his shoulder, "Shut up. I'm just tired from today. Unlike _some_ people in this room, I'm not used to running around outside all day. I'm lucky I didn't burn."

He chuckled and pulled her close. "I know, but it was fun, wasn't it?"

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, carefully avoiding those bandages he insisted he didn't need. "Yeah, it was," the girl sighed happily. "So, what was it that you said?"

"I said that I should probably leave an extra shirt here so I'll have one to change into when I stay the night."

Triss sat up slightly and smiled down at him. "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea."


	13. Chapter 13

Reno sighed softly as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. The redhead didn't know what it was about Triss's apartment that woke him early, but he always awoke with the sun without fail. He smiled and breathed in the warm sunshine as he drank in the sight of the lithe form beside him.

The young woman always seemed to glow in the mornings, the soft light gently caressing her curves and always _just_ avoiding her face, as if it didn't want to wake her. Sometimes she was on her stomach, others, such as now, she slept on her back, far less frequently, Reno would awaken to find her on her side, but the sun _always_ avoided her face, let her sleep. He supposed he should be thankful for that. That the sun let him see her like this, like no one else saw her.

She stirred slightly, dark lashes fluttering against her cheeks for just a moment before stilling. Her pink lips curved up gently in a smile and she sighed softly. She was having sweet dreams. Was she dreaming about him?

He rolled onto his side, sitting up on his elbow as his free arm reached across the warm, glowing figure and his calloused fingertips found her hip, softly rubbing circles into it. His lips gently pressed against the silky soft skin of her belly. He chuckled quietly and rested his cheek on her warm stomach, watching her slowly rouse from sleep.

"Good mornin', beautiful."


	14. Chapter 14

Triss shouldn't have been surprised when there were photos of their date sitting on her desk the next day with a note saying, "Sorry for spying." She shouldn't have been but, while flipping through the prints, she found she was.

When did they start looking so _cute_ together?

She sighed. And she was gonna have to frame _that_ one.


	15. Chapter 15

"I don't get it," Rude sighed. "There's no comparison between those two."

"I know," Reno said softly, looking across the cafeteria to the two girls sitting together.

"She's amazing."

"I know,"

"And that chick... isn't."

"I know."

"And I shouldn't be the one mad about this."

Reno smirked and rolled his head back over his shoulder to look at his partner, "I know."

"So why the fuck isn't Triss mad?"

"Well, for one, she's free to do the same damn thing," the redhead chuckled and held up two fingers. "And two, she knows better. This chick is all fluff and no stuff. Girls like that usually are. And Triss? Well, she's better than that."

"I don't get it," Rude sighed.

"There's no comparison between you two."

"I know," Triss replied softly, not taking her eyes from the screen.

"You're amazing."

"I know," she smirked.

"And that chick... isn't."

"I know." Her grin widened.

"And I shouldn't be the one mad about this."

Triss chuckled and turned to face Rude, "I know."

"So why the fuck aren't you mad?"

"Well, for one, I'm free to do the same thing," the girl laughed. "And, well, she is rather all fluff and no stuff. But then, women like her are usually like that." she smirked. "She doesn't threaten me because I know I'm better than that."

For the first time, Rude saw how frighteningly similar they were.

_This is either going to go really well or turn into a complete disaster._


	16. Chapter 16

She understood.

She didn't like it, but she understood.

You could even go as far as to say she hated it- them. But, nonetheless, she understood.

She understood what it was like to have a compulsion, a desperate, all consuming need. It doesn't even provide pleasure anymore, just the release you can't live without.

And, so, when the redhead would quietly pick up his jacket and walk to the door, she wouldn't say a thing.

And when he would come home and walk straight into the bathroom, without speaking a word to her, pretending he didn't smell like booze, cheap perfume, and sex, she would listen to the shower and smile and nestle deeper into the covers so that, when he opened the door, he would see her grinning at him from the piles of pillows and blankets and he would drop his towel on the floor and crawl beneath the covers with her and he would smile _that_ smile.

Her favorite smile. The one that said that he didn't want to crawl under the covers with anyone but her.

_They _may be his drug. But she was his rehab.


	17. Chapter 17

Reno blinked down at the folder in his hand.

"Shit."

"I warned you wouldn't like it," Tseng reproached.

The redhead chuckled bitterly and stood, "You weren't kiddin'."

"Where are you going?" the director asked.

"Gotta figure out how this is gonna work, yo," Reno called over his shoulder.


	18. Chapter 18

Reno always felt so bad for Triss when he went to visit her. The young girl had recently discovered the disadvantage to doing your job well. She wasn't needed anymore. Luckily, she had played hardball when signing her exclusivity contract, Shin-Ra couldn't fire her or cut her pay. Unluckily, they could still demote her.

After four months of hard work and dedication, she lost her office, her big desk, her fancy computer, her private phone line, her security clearance, all the perks. She got sent down four floors and was stuck pushing papers for lazy execs.

And so, when Reno stepped into the overcrowded room, he wasn't surprised to see Triss, squeezed behind her tiny desk, glaring at the mountain of papers in front of her.

"Hey there, gorgeous," Reno called. The four other women in the room looked up happily, only to lose their smiles when they saw who it was. They knew who it was in the room that he thought was gorgeous and it wasn't any of them.

"Hi, Reno," Triss sighed exhaustedly.

"Look, um, today doesn't look like the day to do this, but I don't really have much of a choice," he said softly and walked up to her desk.

"Reno," Triss looked up at him, "are you breaking up with me?"

The Turk laughed, ignoring the hopeful looks on the other secretaries' faces, "No, baby, I ain't gonna dump ya! Listen, I can't take you out tonight, I gotta work late, but, uh, just- just don't go to your brother's place after work, k?"

She blinked up at him for a few moments before her eyes grew wide in realization. "Oh."

He stepped behind her desk and kissed her gently, "I'll get your stuff. You're gonna stay with me. I'll have Rude take you home, okay?"

The black haired woman nodded, still in shock. "Okay."

_I'd always suspected that my dumbass brother was up to no good. I should have known he was stupid enough to get caught. What did that moron do to piss off Shin-Ra? Why did I let him put his name on the apartment? ...Did Reno just call his place my "home"?_


	19. Chapter 19

Rude sighed as he looked at the clock. _Time to go._

He had been dreading this task since Reno had told him he would have to do it. The fighter always hated mourning women, but, Triss, well, he hated her being upset for another reason.

Triss had gotten close to all of the Turks in the past few months. As soon as they realized she was going to be a part of Reno's life for an indefinite, but decidedly long, period of time, they had begun to, very tentatively, accept her into their circle. And, Triss, being herself, had, almost immediately, become everyone's honorary little sister. (Some even joked that she should be their mascot.) So, no one was happy about Reno's mission, though they were all thankful it had been given to only Reno, so that Rude could see to Triss, even though any one of them would have taken care of the girl.

Rude sighed and drew himself up as he rounded the corner into Triss's new "office". He noticed how absorbed in her paperwork she was, and how she was very obviously ignoring her co-workers who were just as obviously gossiping about her.

Triss started and looked up at him when he softly called her name.

"Oh, is it time to go?"

The tall man nodded and she stood, snatching her things up and all but running to his side.

"C'mon, let's get you home," he said gently.


	20. Chapter 20

Triss sat on the corner of Reno's desk, leaning heavily on her boyfriend's shoulder and wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. Then Tseng walked in the room and she let out a shrieking cackle and fell to the floor.

"I suppose you're responsible for this?" Tseng shouted above the loud laughter of every Turk in the room.

Triss crawled to her knees and opened her mouth as she peered over Reno's desk to respond, but, instead let out a snort and collapsed on the floor again.

"I should kill you for this, or, at the very least, beat you," the Wutaian man said, as he stood over the girl.

Reno laughed and looked up at the director, "Yeah, boss, ya should, but we all know you ain't gonna! You oughta be impressed! She snuck up on you and pulled it off without you even noticin'! 'Sides, ya like her too much."

Tseng chuckled as he carefully removed the crown of flowers from his head and placed it on Triss's because, indeed, even he had grown fond of the young girl. In fact, much to everyone's surprise, he was one of the first members to "adopt" her. She had run paperwork for him a few times before they were properly introduced, and, upon introduction, he told Reno that she was the best secretary he'd found and that, if Reno ruined that, he would die.

The black haired man was glad to have Triss around, she was the "normal" person the Turks needed to stay grounded. It certainly wasn't easy to stay sane when your job increasingly consisted of more assasinations and less kidnappings. Things had begun to spiral out of control, and then this raven haired girl had stepped in one evening, declaring, "I come bearing gifts of pizza and booze!" and, instantly, the atmosphere lightened.

She was also a therapist of sorts for the group. Her cynicism and child-like honesty made for some startling advice, but it always seemed to be what needed to be said.

Just a few days ago, Escopeta had spoken with her, confessing that she was beginning to regret her decision to join the Turks, that she felt like she didn't fit in.

Triss had replied, "Well, you're a Turk, aren't you? You do the same work they do. Why wouldn't you fit in?"

And Escopeta had blinked at her as she absorbed what the girl had said, then smiled. "You're right!" she'd laughed and walked back inside.

Then the orders came down from "the bastards above," as a certain redhead called them. Veld had cursed under his breath as he read them, then passed them to Tseng saying, "I don't like it, but Reno's the best one for the job." And, as Tseng read the orders, he cursed as well. The most surprising reaction, though, was Reno's. The director had expected him to rant and rave, but instead the redhead immediately began arranging for Triss to move into his home.

"Well, she won't have anywhere else to stay, boss."

The Turks had expected Triss's reaction least of all. When the surveillence tapes of Reno and Rude's apartments were watched (and all of the Turks had watched from the moment Rude brought her in), Triss was in shock and quite upset, but not for the reasons they had thought.

Upon questioning, she had expressed little concern for her brother. "He's a dumbass and he deserves a bullet to the head, especially if he was stupid enough to get caught." But she was horrified at the prospect of losing her home.

"What'm I gonna do?"

Rude had smiled softly and pulled her close.

"Don't you worry. We take of our own."


	21. Chapter 21

"Haha! Take that, you bitch!" Triss shouted triumphantly as the television sent out a dying screech. She had just beaten the creature that neither Reno, nor Rude could.

Reno yelled, "No way! No fuckin' way! You cheated or somethin'! There's no way you just did that!"

Rude chuckled and shook his head as he watched his best friends argue good naturedly. He never thought he'd say this, but he was glad Reno's girlfriend had moved in.

If nothing else, she stopped Reno from completely destroying the place.


	22. Chapter 22

"Waitaminnitt, waitaminnit. Let me get this straight. Because Veld defected so he wouldn't have to kill his daughter, _you're_ second in command? Are you _serious?_"

"Yeah. I got seniority. Ain't that right, babe? Babe? Where'd Triss go?"

Rude chuckled and pointed to the floor behind his desk and, at that precise moment, a shriek of laughter emitted from the exact spot he indicated.

"Triss?"

A squeal in response.

"Are you laughin' at me?"

"Uh-huh!"

"And what is so funny about me gettin' a better job?"

"You're gonna have so much paperwork!" she laughed.

Reno blinked twice before shouting, "Aw, man! That's fucked up!"


	23. Chapter 23

Reno couldn't help but chuckle at the woman seated next to him at the bar, leaning forward, putting a hand on his knee, laughing too loudly at his jokes and doing her best to bat her eyelashes coyly, but just ending up looking like she was about to pass out. She was trying so hard and failing so miserably.

Beneath the makeup, unless he was affected by the alcohol much more than he thought, she looked an awful lot like Triss, but he didn't like to think about that for very long because it raises the question of why and why so many of "the women" looked like Triss and Reno was not happy about the answers his mind came up with.

Now the woman's hand was sliding up his thigh. While he was lost in his thoughts, she had sidled closer to the Turk.

Reno sighed and gave her a smile he didn't feel. He knew how tonight would go, how "tonight"s always go. They would go back to her place, he would throw her on the bed, couch, table, floor, counter and rip off her clothes and hold her too tight and kiss her too hard, but she would love every second of it and he would yell too loudly and squeeze his eyes shut and pretend that he hadn't spent every second of it comparing this woman to _her_, because this woman would walk too slow and take too long and wiggle too much and kiss too sloppily and scream too loudly so he has to yell to drown her out. And he would button up his shirt and yank up his pants and rush out because, honestly, this woman's place would be disgusting.

But then he'll go to _her place_ and he'll wash away all the signs of this woman whose hands were drifting far too far. And then, _then_ he'll walk out of the bathroom and see _her_ and she'll smile _that_ smile, that beautiful "It's okay, I forgive you. I understand. I don't blame you. You're here and that's all that matters. And please don't ever not be here. Please come back to me. Always." smile.

She had so many different smiles- "You're so funny when you're stupid." and "I know you want me, but there's not a damn thing you can do about it." and "Good morning, handsome." and even "I know it and you know it, but I'm not going to say it. I'm just going to sit here and smile at you because we both know anyway." But none of them held a candle to the smile that turned him from Reno the Turk to Just Reno, who would crawl under the covers with her and "that word they never used" her because, really, there's no one he'd rather not use that word with.

_"Always."_


	24. Chapter 24

I hate it, y'know. Those damned drugs. Why do you need them? I know it's hard, especially since the plate, well, since Ema-

But still, you can't let her be the reason you do this! You can't let that sweet little angel who loved you so much be why you hurt yourself this badly. It would kill her to see her big brother like this. Well, if she wasn't-

It's not your fault. You were just following orders.

It's not okay, but it will be.

Why don't you ever believe me?

And, no, I won't ever tell you not to put that _shit_ in your veins, your mouth, your nose, because I _can't_ because that would be the end and that _scares me_.

One of these days, it's going to take you too far and you're going to hurt yourself and I'm going to lose you. And that _scares _me, Reno.

I can't tell you no and I can't leave. If you were anyone else, we would have ended in a fist fight, but you- you're different. You've got a grip on all that barbed wire I have tangled in my chest and you refuse to let go so I choke if I get too far away.

And there's that song again, the one that I can't get out of my head.

Are you calling the radio stations and requesting this song because you know? It wouldn't surprise me if you were. You always could tell when I was wandering a little too far.

I don't know if it's better that way or not, but I'm at the end of your grip and choking here. Are you going to pull me back or let me go?

I really don't know what I want.


	25. Chapter 25

Reno came to shaking on the floor in the kitchen. His head hurt, he could barely keep his eyes open, he was sweating, his nose burnt so badly he couldn't breathe. Sobriety was overrated, he decided.

He struggled to his feet and stumbled to the bathroom. His clammy hands opened the bag and poured out some, probably too much, it usually was, of the white powder that had become his lifeblood.

Everything had gone wrong. First the president seemed to forget what it was that was entailed in the Turks' job description, then the board got uppity and started playing mind games with all Shin-Ra employees, and then, oh fuck, then he'd gotten _that_ mission. Tseng fucking forced him to drop the plate.

_And Ema-_

"Fuck!"

His nose burnt. His mind started to clear, become less muddled, less fuzzy and the room came into focus.

And there was blood, on him, on the counter, on the floor and then he realized he had tracked it in from the kitchen.

His pipe was broken on the counter and the pieces were covered in angry crimson.

_What the hell?_ he wondered as he saw another trail of big, fat drops of scarlet on the carpet into Rude's room.

"Stay the fuck out of here, man," Reno heard his partner growl.

"What?"

"Stay. Out."

"No, man. There's blood on the floor!"

"I know," the fighter said.

"No, but-" Reno heard sniffles from the other side of Rude's bathroom door. "Is that Triss?"

Rude said nothing, but placed himself between Reno and the door.

"Triss? Triss, baby, what's wrong?" The sniffles turned into sobs. "Triss? Babe!" he cried and tried to open the door, only to be caught mid-lunge by Rude. "Triss? Why are you crying?" Reno asked frantically.

"You know damn well why!"

"No! Why are you crying?" the redhead shrieked, struggling to free himself from Rude's grasp.

"You don't remember?" The door flew open and collided with the wall with a loud _smash. _ "You don't remember attacking me? You don't remember busting your pipe on the counter and cornering me in the kitchen with it? You don't remember throwing me into the wall and screaming at me?"

"What? I didn't-"

"Oh, yes you did! _Let me remind you!_" she shoved her bandaged hands in his face. "Remember now, asshole?" Blood had seeped through the layers of white wrapped around her palms. "I'm fucking lucky Rude got home when he did and knocked you out! I would be _dead_, Reno! You were going to _kill_ me!"

"Baby, I would _never_ -"

"Rude?"

"Yeah, Triss?"

"Get him the fuck out."

The big man nodded and, quite literally, threw Reno into the hallway.

"You stay the _fuck_ away from her."


	26. Chapter 26

Reno sighed. Paperwork sucked. Normally, Triss was here to take care of the worst of it, but she had taken the day off to move into her friend, Lore's apartment. The Turk frowned at the wave of guilt that washed over him. _My fault she's moving in the first fucking place,_ he sighed.

Triss's hands were still bandaged so tightly, she couldn't type, so she spent her days in the office helping the Turks with their paperwork. They would laugh and joke and it was obvious that even Tseng enjoyed her company. The Wutaian man said that, once she was healed, he was going to put in a request that she was made the Turk's private secretary, which made her smile. The Turks were the closest thing to family Triss had now.

No one knew that Reno had overheard when Tseng had asked if she would be able to work around the redhead after what had happened. Triss had smiled sadly and said that, as long as someone was around, she would be fine. That, as much as she hated to admit it, she was scared to be alone now.

Reno was glad she was out and about though. He had been so worried she would hole up and die, which, in retrospect, was kinda concieted of him. She was a big girl. She didn't need him and he knew that.

He jumped as his phone rang with a very familiar tone, jerking him out of his thoughts.

_Huh. Must not've been able to get a hold of anyone else. Need help with those boxes after all?_

Thankful for a distraction, the redhead expertly spun his desk chair on a single leg and answered his phone, "Triss? I didn't expect to hear from you. What's up?"

"Reno?" he barely heard the whisper.

"Triss? Babe, you gotta talk louder."

"Reno? Help! Please!" she begged softly.

"Triss? What's wrong?" the Turk asked, rising to walk towards the door.

"He's- NO! LEAVE HER ALONE! NO! NO!" Reno heard a blood curdling shriek of pain and then an awful, but very familiar gurgle. The redhead had been responsible for that noise many times. That particular gurgle was the sound of someone's lungs filling with blood while they were still trying to breathe.

"FUCK!" Reno yelled as he bolted out the door.


	27. Chapter 27

Reno stared in disbelief at the girl in the bed.

She looked so fragile. She _was_ so fragile_._ She had more wires coming out of her than he had lighters in his pockets. And, that awful heart monitor. _Beep, beep, beep._

She's alive. Barely. "It's up to her."

That was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. To just sit. And wait. And listen to that damn monitor.

_Everybody is watching you._

"There's nothing you could do," Tseng had said, placing a hand on the redhead's shoulder. Rude had grunted in agreement.

"It's not your fault," Cissnei whispered as she sat next to him. "If she hadn't been away, we would be here worrying about you too. This way, our hearts only break a little."

"If she knows she has you waiting, she'll pull though," the old nurse said to him, smiling and putting the girl's hand in his. "You'll see," she chuckled, patting him with soft palms.

"She doesn't hate you," Arma laughed softly. "Don't worry. If she pulls through this for anyone, it'll be for you."

Yuuko smiled gently, "Don't be ridiculous, Reno. Of course she'll survive."

"She's too hot to die," Rod grinned and punched the boy's shoulder.

_Everybody is watching me too._


End file.
